Index



J- H. RAND Dec. 27, 1927.

I NDEX Filed April 14, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lid dill

Patented Dec. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrics.

JAMES H. HAND, OF NORTH TUNAWANDA, NEV YORK, AEfiIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- TO REMINGTON BAND INC, OF 'IONAWANDA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF DELANVARE.

INDEX.

Application filed April 14, 1922.

This invention relates to index devices of the type having movable index holders or panels for displayingthe classified subject matter of the indices and more particularly a to that type in which the index holders are mounted to slide horizontally into and out of a frame or cabinet in which a plurality of such holders are arranged in juxtaposition.

Ubjectsofthe invention are to providean index device of the class described in which index material mounted upon both'sides of the holders for compactness may be readily available without requiring the user to change his position relative thercto,to permit the simultaneous use of the index device by more than one person, to prevent the accidental withdrawal of holders from the casing, and in general to increase the ca- 1 pacity, the compactness, the ease of manipulation, and the accessibility of devices of this lrind.

The genus of the invention is illustrated by the concrete embodiment shown in the l accompanying drawings, in which,--

Figure 1 is a perspective View; Figure 2 is a plan view showing various positions of the index holders;

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the casing with the index holders removed;

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section; Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view partly in section showing one holder in extended position and the same holder in dotted outa line partly retracted.

The embodiment of the invention shown for the purpose of illustration comprises an index device of the box type arranged to malce the index material therein available from opposite sides thereof so that a single index device can, if desired, be used by two persons sittingat adjoining desks with the index device between them. The embodimerit comprises a rectangular frame or cabinet A having top 6, bottom 7 sides 8 and 9, and open ends. As shown in Fig. 41 the top and bottom portions of the cabinet overhang or extend beyond the sides, the overhanging portions being laterally grooved as indicated at 10 to form shoulders .11 each of which has an outwardly beveled face 12 substantially parallel with faces 13 formed by grooves 10.

ldlidable from either end into and out of Serial No. 552,789.

cabinet A are a plurality of index holders or panels B. These panels are maintained in substantially upright position by parti t ons 14: placed at intervals transversely of the cabinet as indicated in Fig.3. The spacmg of the partitions may be such as to receive only a single panel between adjacent partitions but they are preferably spaced to recelvea group of panels. These partitions are retalned in place by grooves 15 in the hop 6 and bottom 7 respectively. Any de sired number of columns of index records may be provided on each side of the index holders B depending upon the size thereof; in the present instance three columns are shown (Fig. 4). The index material, such as index slips C bearing indicia I), may be retained upon the index holders B in any desired manner as by spring clips a preferred method of attaching said clips being shown in my copending application Serial No. 501,769.

To prevent index panels B from being entirely withdrawn from cabinet A elongate supporting members 16 in the form of 1narginal strips are hinged as indicated at 17 (Fig. 5) to opposite edges of each panel. Pivoted adjacent to the outer corners of members 16 are stops or latches 18 adapted to cooperate with shoulders 11 as indicated in Fig. 5, when the index holders are with drawn to expose the index material. The stops 18 at the bottom of the cabinet may operate by gravity, but those at the top of the cabinet must have some means for normally retaining them in engagement with the top thereof so that they will slide into groove 10 to contact with abutment 11. As here illustrated, both sets of stops are provided with retaining means. This means may take the form of a spring finger 19 looped over an outer portion of each stop and fast at its opposite end in or upon pivot 20 as by niieans of a hole thcrethrough. The nature of the index material upon each of the panels B is preferably indicated in the usual manner by index tabs 21 (Figs. 1 and 4) on each of flaps 16, the tabs on the same panel having the same index indicia.

The operation of the device is as follows: The operator grasps the tab of the panel upon which the desired index material is mounted and draws the panel toward him. the stops 18 on the adjacent member 16 ridmember 16 reaches the groove 10, the free end of the stops thereon drop or are forced into the grooves until they abut against shoulders 11, thus preventing the panel from being entirely withdrawn. Hinge 17 of the exposed panel is now in line with the cutaway portions of sides 7 and 8 (Fig. 1) so that the panel may be swung upon member 16, which is held by stops 18 within the easing, to positions in a plane perpendicular to the plane of inward and outward movement or to intermediate positions, to expose that side of the panel which has the desired material thereon. When the panel is pushed back within the casing stops 18 ride out of grooves 10 and along the top and bottom respectivelyin the manner indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 5. \Vhen the member 16 adjacent to the operator reaches the casing in stops 18 thereon are cammed within the normal outline of the panel by the beveled surfaces 12 upon the shoulders 11 until they drop into groove 10 where they are again cammed upwardly by the beveled surface 13 forming one face of the groove, as the panel reaches its'housed position within the cabinet.

I claim:

1. An index device comprising a cabinet having a top and bottom and open at opposite sides,. the top and bottom having transverse abutments adjacent to the open sides of the cabinet provided with beveled outer faces and abrupt inner faces, an index holder sliding into and out of the cabinet, members hinged to opposite .edges of said holder, and latches pivotally'mounted upon said members wit-h their free ends directed inwardly to permit them to ride over the abutments adjacent to them upon outward movement of the holder in either direction.

2. An index comprising a cabinet having oppositely disposed guideways at its top and bottom, a vertically disposed index holder normally free to slide in said guideways, a pair of spaced abutments at both top and bottom of the cabinet, and a pair of spring pressed latches adjacent the top and a pair of gravity actuated latches adjacent the bottom of the holder and movable therewith, each latch of each pair cooperating with one abutment of the corresponding pair of abutments to prevent excess movement of the holder in one direction and moving freely past the other abutment of said pair when the holder is moved in the opposite direction.

3. In a device of the character described a box-like casing open at opposite ends, a plurality of upright panels arranged in parallel relation within the casing, each panel being withdrawable from the casing at either of said open ends, and means supporting each of said panels when withdrawn in either direction, said supporting means permitting the withdrawn panel to swing about its rear vertical edge through an arc of approximately one hundred and eighty degrees.

4. An index comprising a box-like casing open at opposite sides, and a plurality of parallel vertically disposed index panels individually withdrawable from either of the open sides of the casing, spaced elements upon both sides of the panel for securing index material thereto, devices hinged to each of said panels and adapted to support the panels to swing about their rearmost vertical edges as axes when withdrawn in either direction from the casing, the hin e connections being such as to permit each panel to swing substantially 90 in either direction from the plane of its normal position within the cabinet.

5. An index comprising a cabinet open at its opposite sides, a vertlcal panel disposed within the cabinet, slidable supporting members hinged respectively to the front and rear vertical edges of the and, the rearmost of said supporting mem rs remaining in engagement with the cabinet when the panel is withdrawn in either direction from the cabinet thereby sustaining the panel, the hinge connection between the panel and the su porting member being such as to permit t 1e panel when withdrawn to swing in either direction into substantial parallelism with the front face of the cabinet, the foremost supporting member moving freely out of the cabinet as the panel is withdrawn, and detent devices adjacent to the top and bottom respectively of the cabinet for preventing withdrawal from the cabinet of the rearmost of'said supporting members with the panel.

6. A device of the class described com rising a box-like casing open at opposite sides, a thin vertical panel slidable into and out of the casing from either side thereof, spaced retaining elements for securing index material to opposite faces of the panel, sup orting members disposed in the plane 0 the panel and hinged respectively to the vertical front and rear edges of the latter, the hinge connections between the panel and supporting members permitting the panel when withdrawn to swing equally in opposite directions, and cooper-able relatively yieldable stop elements carried by the suporting members and cabinet respectively, said elements comprising abrupt shoulders adapted to engage whereby to prevent withdrawal of the rearmost of the supporting members from the cabinet, and relatively inclined faces adapted to slide freely over one another to permit the forward supporting member to be withdrawn from the cabinet.

7. An index device comprising a cabinet having a top and bottom and open at its opposite sides, the top and bot-tom each being "provided with abutments adjacent to eac of the open sides of the cabinet, an index ranged to permit the index holder to be holder sliding into and out of the cabinet withdrawn freely from either side of the from either side, members hinged to opposite cabinet While preventing its complete detach- 10 edges of the holder, and pivoted latches carment therefrom.

ried by each of said members cooperable Signed by me at Boston, Mass, this 20th with the respective abutments, the latches day of March 1922.

and abutments being constructed and an 1 JAMES H. RAND.

Patent No 1,654,052. Granted December 27 1927, w

JAMES H. KANE).

It is hereby certifivsd that error appears in: the print-Ed specifisation of the mg comemism follaws: Page 2, iine 21, for d that the said Letters Pmm slmuld be read abave numbered patent mquiyi the word "in" read "1172a"; an with this CQFE'QCUGM than" of the case in the Patent 6f Signed and sealed this Mth (my m mammary, A, U. 1928i M. J. Moore Seal. Acting Commissicmer of Patents. 

